Notice impelling device



March 6, 1951 a. MANAHAN 2,543,862

NOTICE IMPELLING DEVICE Filed Dec. 22, 1945 Patented Mar. 6, 1951 UNI :ED. PAT ENT F El c E NOTICEIMPELLING.DEVICE GeorgeeManahan,zMaplewood; N. :J.,aassignorto Theilihomasnfln Betts 00., Elizabeth,- N. .-J.-, a corporationzof New Jersey -ApplicationDecembe1t22, 1945Serial N 0-. 636,668

lizClaims; .(Cl. 294-19) The invention relates in general -'-to=- awnotice impelling device and the invention specifically relates toa safety' deivicefor attachment: to an overhead disconnects-"switch when :in open circuit position to give notice that theswitchdsnot :to-be prematurely closed by-unauthorized persons:

accessible place and -it is-understood"- in the-industry that no onesho'uldclose a switchso tagged-- without authority. It has not beenusual to place the tag on the switch 'itself beca-use" such switch-es are-high on the-pole-'andwusually"diflicult'to reachfor any'notice'labeling.

Naturally the'ideal place 'tolocate-a notice'to persons" not to: close the switch-iun'til authorized" would necessitate thelinem'anclimbingthe'poleto make .theattachment. Any'such:pra'cticerwouid be at "least inconvenienty ifnot, actually danger ous since in an emergencyi'situatiorr ithe lineman has no time toclimb a pfolefonanysuchpnrppse:

Such disconnect switches are usuallyin'someexy posed position and'thus subject-towind and-other storm conditions which are very-apt to cause any" casually applied device .to. become separated from the device to which 'it may beapplied.

The. primary object of, the invention-is 17011)10- vide a simple. form of' notice compelling device which can be elevatedfromasafe position therebelow and easily and quickly secured'dn a positively locked engagement with some part of fthe switch; and which; device. can bei'freed from-the. switch .onlywith some .difiiculty and must, bejreed before the switch can-be restored to its' normal circuit closing position;

Broadly, the object is attainedgby;providing what has become to be known as a switchtag,

holder and features m'eans'for rsuppprting therein a replaceable direction cardtor' tag; containing information relative .tolxthe instant "situations .in

which the device is presently used. This, switch tag holder when: so: charged" with'the direction card is fitted to:.the' :encl .ofiadong; reachstick or. liftris' liftedinto positionhooked-.oniohthe switch...

2 preferably to the movable blade element of the switch; the hook is closed by the manipulation of the reach stick and "the stick is removed leavin the notice prominentlydisplayed hanging from' the switch.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a'notice impelling device capable of use as above indicated and which both by reasonof the-fact that it is'free to swing'in spaceand-because of its brilliant color contrasting with its environments and reacting vividly -toa beam of a search light thrown on it-from any direction, will tend to attract attention to-the fact that the part labelled thereby distinguishes insome way from the "partiwhen functioning normally.

Various other objects andadvantages of'the' invention will" be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings; and in partwill be more fullysetforth in the following particular description of one form of'device embodying the invention, and the invention also consistsincertainnew and novel features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set'forth and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig: l is aviewin side elevation of-an overhead switch withits switchblade shown in full lines in itsupright circuit closingposition, and shown, indotted line in its open horizontallowered cirv cuit' breaking position, and with av switchggtag holder constituting apreferred embodimentof the-invention .hanging'from its pull ring to swing freely'in" space ingboth'positions of the switch blade;

Fig; 2 is a viewof the switch tag holder of Fig. I mounted 1 ona disconnect stickand with the hock openin position about to be hookedinto the-eye shown in section and corresponding to the upper-position of the partsshownlin Fig. 1 beforeit is rotated into lockedposition;

Figf3'is a view of the holder of Figs. 1 and '2 hooked into the switch rin corresponding to the lowerportionof the parts shown in Fig. 1 before it'-is rotated -into open*position with the outer cylinderimaxial section, with the inner cylinder in side elevation and with the h00k forming latch rotatedinto its locked position;

Fig; 4 is a plan view looking down on the showing-in Fig. 3. and .thus with the hook latch in its .locked position; and

Fig. 5 is atransverse sectional view taken on theline 5-5 of Fig. 3 looking-upward and showing the slots of'the inner and outer cylindersin registry: and showing the dark, socket as. viewed fromsa position below thegdevicewhen, in .use.

Referring first to the showing in Fig. 1 there is disclosed parts of a hook operated disconnect switch A of a voltage regulator. The switch includes a switch blade B pivotally mounted at C to move from the upright full line circuit closing position into the horizontal dotted line circuit open position. The switch blade is provided with a vertically extending pull eye D designed to be engaged by the hook like end of a long disconnect stick F following usual practices in opening and closing overhead switches. These sticks as now supplied to the market are made of insulating material; have their upper ends enlarged to form a cylinder G from which project a laterally extending hook forming shank H of relatively small diameter and terminating at its outer end in a button I.

The switch tag holder herein featured is designed to be operated by the same disconnect stick which is now used to move the switch blade to and from its two limiting positions as disclosed, it being recalled that these sticks are usually from four to eight or ten feet in length.

The holder l consists primarily of a pair of telescoping cylinders, an outer cylinder I and an inner cylinder l2 mounted for rotation about their common axis and having a fairly snug fit. Both cylinders are open at their lower ends to provide a socket for receiving the upper end of the disconnect stick and the inner cylinder is closed at its top by means of a top closure or a wall l3. These cylinders are made of insulating material and in one form are molded to shape from a plastic material such as a laminated phenolic sheet known commercialy as Formica.

The cylinders are free to turn but are locked against relative axial movement by one or more screws I4 passed through the outer cylinder and intruded into an endless groove |5 formed in the inner cylinder adjacent the wall l3.

The lower portion of the inner cylinder is provided with a bayonet slot |6 formed of a longitudinally extending portion open at the lower edge |8 of the inner cylinder and a short circumferentially extending portion l9 opening into the upper end of slot H. The bore of the inner cylinder I2 is dimensioned to form a downwardly facing socket exposed to permit the eas intrusion into the lower end of the same of the cylinder G of the disconnect stick.

The outer cylinder H is provided with a longitudinal slot 2| open at the lower edge 22 of the cylinder II and disposed to register with the slot 1, when the cylinders are rotated into position to effect such registration as shown in Fig. 5. When so registering the laterally extending shank H of the lift or disconnect stick can be slid along the registering slots I? and 2| until it reaches the inner portion of the transverse slot l9 and in position to engage the sides of the outer cylinder at the upper end of the slot 2 An inverted J -shaped hook 23 has an upstandin shank 24 secured rigidly to the wall Is to revolve therewith and is secured in place by nuts 25 engaging opposite sides of the wall I 3. The free end of the hook forms a downturned latch 26 circular in cross section and designed when rotated to intrude into a keeper 2'! formed at the upper end of a post 28. The post 28 extends above and is fixed to the outer sleeve and turns therewith. The keeper is a ring split along one side to form a U-shaped spring fashioned to receive the latch 26 and including a pair of spring ends The lengthwise extending slots l1 and 2| are so related relative to each other and to the latch 25 and its keeper 21 that the slots are in registry to permit the insertion and Withdrawal of the lift stick when the hook is in its locked position engaging the keeper as shown in Figs. 3-5. The transverse slot I9 is in registry with the slot 2| when the hook has been rotated away from its locked position as shown in Fig. 2 to resist accidental withdrawal of the lift stick as hereinafter described.

The tag holder I0 is provided with some means to house a ta secured thereto as by passing the wire usually attached to instruction tags through an eye 3| in the portion of the outer cylinder which projects below the inner cylinder. An alternate suggestion is to provide the holder with a ticket or tag holding frame 32 into which the ticket or tag containing the instructions from the system operator may be slipped.

In operation, the lineman first prepares the holder by manually rotating the cylinders relative to each other into position to bring the slots I! and 2| into registry and in which position incidentally the hook is in its locked engagement with its keeper. The instruction tag is secured either to the eye 3| or inserted in the frame 32. The lineman then inserts the upper end of the disconnect stick F into the lower socket forming open end of the holder passing the shank H upwardly along the aligned slots until the shank reaches the upper end of the slot 2|. Then by manually engaging the hook 23 he rotates the latch 26 away from its closed or locked position for a half turn in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. The transverse slot IQ of the bayonet slot is thus moved to receive the shank H. This brings the portion 33 of the inner cylinder which is immediately below the slot l9 into position closing the lower portion of the slot 2| and thus locking the disconnect stick to the holder. At this time the hook will be in open position as shown in Fig. 2 and ready to be inserted into or removed from the pull eye D. The assembly of holder and disconnect stick thus formed is elevated hand-over-hand by the lineman and the hook looped into the opening of eye D and lowered into position as shown in the upper part of Fig. 1. The lineman then pulls down forcefully on the disconnect stick, and swings the.

switch blade from the full line into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

The fact that the portion 33 is at this time underlapping the shank H prevents any accidental removal of the stick F from the holder I0. When the blade is fully lowered the lineman re-rotates the stick and therethrough re-rotates the outer cylinder back into position to cause the latch to force its Way into engagement with the keeper 2'! momentarily springing the jaws 29 and 30 apart to permit the latch to pass therebetween. The holder is thus locked securely to the switch ring. This movement also brings the slots I! and 2| into registry and then the lift stick is withdrawn fully from the holder.

When the lineman is instructed to remove the holder, he reaches up with his disconnect stick, inserting its cylindrical end G into the downwardly facing socket and pushes the stick along the aligned slots until stopped by the upper end of the slot 2| He lifts the holder and with it the switch blade and returns the latter to the switch closing position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. When the blade is in its locked position he rotates the outer cylinder by a half-turn of the stick to shift' the 'post i 8 away fromcth Hatch held by-thg switchey'e Egandthus opens liehook. ":He then. lowers the holder and removesthe tag therefrom:

It'is suggested thatxthe devicebe-ofsome easily noticed .'color= and intone.- formpf the invention.

the outer shell is of a bright yellow.

The presence of-"a bright swinging yellow object even if high in the air notifies other linemen, and even reminds thelineman-who placed it there, that this is anopenswitch and that-it-isprohibitive to close it without authority. As itizisinot particularly, easy ,to get the disconnectstick into the socket "at 'thelower endof the holder when suspended high overhead andeven when inserted, itmust be rotated inthe proper; releasing *di'rem tionythe possibility of accidentally ruin-ingithe caution'isignal is minimized.

Further as-a practical matter itis. necessary 'to removetha-h'older as herein before indicate-din order to fclear-the switch eye to -permit the. insertion therein or the usual disconnect stickto close the switch. As the interior of the holder is dark, the socket when viewed from below presents itself as a dark spot vividly contrasting with the bright yellow of the holder considered as a whole and this practically black spot assists the lineman in reinserting the stick back into the socket when it is desired to reach up to demount the holder after it has restored the switch blade back into its circuit closing position.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of two cylinders each formed of insulating material, in telescopic relation and mounted for relative rotary movement about the common axis of the cylinders, both cylinders being open at their lower ends to form a disconnect stick socket downwardly facing when the device is in operative position, the inner cylinder provided with a wall closing the upper end, and the inner cylinder provided in the side' thereof with a bayonet slot including a longitudinal slot open at the lower edge of the inner cylinder, the outer cylinder provided with a longitudinal slot open at the lower edge of the outer cylinder, the open end portions of the slots adapted to register when the cylinders are rotated to bring them into registry, a hook secured to the wall to rotate with the inner cylinder and a keeper for closing the opening of the hook, secured to the outer cylinder and adapted to engage and thus lock the hook against accidental rotation when rotated into engagement therewith, the longitudinal slots related to each other and to the hook to bring the slots into registry when the hook and its keeper are in their interlocking relation.

2. A notice impelling device including a pair of elements mounted one within the other for relative rotary movement, a hook for hanging the device onto a support, and a keeper for the hook disposed in one position to close the opening of the hook, said hook carried by one of the elements and the keeper carried by the other element, and said elements providing a socket for receiving a rotating tool and having means including a straight slot in the outer member and a bayonet slot in the inner'member for receiving the tool when the slots are in registry and actuated -by the rotationvofithe ,teomnn so received inczthe slots-for rotating the keeper' to and from the hook when: the hook is held in: place hanging from" the support;-

3.- Ina' devicepftheclass" described, the com-,- bination of two cylinders in" telescopic relationand mounted-for relative rotary movement about the oftlie inner cylinder," the. outer :cylinder'provided with a longitudinal slot open at its loweredgegthe v operren'd portionot the s-lots'adapted to' register whenthecylinders are rotated to "bringthem into registry; ar hook having'one end secured to one of the cylinders and astop carried'by the-othercylin der ior engagement-by'the other end of 'thehook, the longitudinal'slots related toeach 'oth'er and tothe ho'ok to 'bringthe slots into. registry when the hook and said stop-arein their "intere'ngagi-ng,

position.

45m a notice "impelling "device for suspension high in the'air; the combination'of two cylinders,

, one mounted' -inth'e other for relative'movement iii) about their coi'nmo'n" axis; means for' restraining the cylinders from relative axial movement, the lower end of the inner cylinder being open to provide a downwardly facing socket fashioned to receive a tool for relatively rotating the cylinders, means projecting above the device for hooking it over a support to hang therefrom and for temporarily securing it to the support, said means including a suspension hook having one end secured rigidly to one of the cylinders to turn therewith and having its other end free to turn in space, and a keeper for the hook carried by the other cylinder rigidly secured thereto and turning therewith for engagement by and for retention by the free end of the hook when the cylinders, are relatively rotated by the tool to cause such interengagement of hook and its keeper.

5. A notice impelling device for use in an overhead, out-of-reach location, said device including a pair of cylinders mounted telescopically one within the other for relative rotary movement and restrained from relative axial movement, the top of the inner cylinder being closed to the infiltration of light into the top of its bore, suspension means at the top of the device for demountably securing the device suspended to swing freely from an overhead support, said means including a hook having one end secured to the closed top of the inner cylinder and a keeper secured to the outer cylinder to turn therewith and in one position engaging the free end of the hook to close the opening of the hook, the lower ends of the cylinders being open to provide a downwardly facing and wide open socket to receive a tool for rotating the outer cylinder when the hook is engaging its support and the outer cylinder provided with a slot for receiving an element of the tool, said slot being exposed for easy visibility by contrast to the outer face of the inner cylinder and by its darkened interior, the exposed surface of the outer cylinder being of relatively extensive area and of a vivid, notice impelling color, the downwardly facing socket being of sufiicient length to have its interior dark and the opening into said socket appearing black by contrast to the vivid color of the exposed side of the outer cylinder.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of two hollow tubular members mounted in telescopic relation for relative rotary movement about their common axis and fixed against relative axial movement, the lower ends of the members provided with means for receiving a tool to rotate the members relative to each other, a hook having one end rigidly attached to the inner member in offset relation to said axis, and the other member provided with a ring to receive the free end of the hook and operating to close the opening of the hook, said ring being split along one side to form a U-shaped spring fashioned to receive and retain in place the free end of the hook when the members are rotated into position to effect such closing.

7. A notice providing device for use in an overhead, out-of-reach position, said device comprising two telescopic cylinders mounted for relative movement about a normally vertical axis, one of the cylinders provided at its upper portion with a hook for overlapping a momentarily fixed overhead support to suspend the device in position depending from the support and thus to hold the hook substantially fixed in space, the other cylinde provided with a keeper for engaging the free end of the hook when rotated into engagement therewith and provided with means to secure the hook and keeper from accidental separation while permitting the disengagement of hook and keeper REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 872,691 Seidl Dec. 3, 1907 1,471,117 Foss Oct. 16, 1923 1,522,851 Wright Jan. 13, 1925 1,876,892 Fiske Sept. 13, 1932 2,135,232 Dawn Nov. 1, 1938 2,194,411 Tipsord Mar. 19, 1940 2,194,831 Marshall Mar. 26, 1940 

